The post Sparkling Water Still Life – Put some Fizz in your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
Often the key to making a good photo is to show the commonplace in a whole new way. Bombarded by so many visual images each day, photo viewers need something that breaks the rules, that looks different to make them pause on your photo. This sparkling water still life technique will challenge your photo skills. It will teach you how to compose and light still life subjects, give you practice with editing tools and techniques, and help you create interesting images. Maybe best of all, you’ll have some fun.
Strongly backlit and filled with flash, these tulips were shot submerged in a vase of sparkling water. The image was flipped vertically in post-production. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm f2.8macro lens – 1/20 sec. f/11 ISO 200
Perhaps another plus to this kind of photography (I write this holed up at home during isolation), is it can be done at home on the kitchen counter or wherever you like to work. You can then post your creation online, giving us all the enjoyment of viewing your image.
Shall we get started? Break out the bubbly!
Citrus slices make good subjects for this kind of photography as they look like they belong in sparkling water. Sliced thin, they are translucent, lending themselves to backlighting. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – Left – 1/4 sec. f/22 ISO 800 Right 1/30 sec. f/8 ISO 800This image was lit from below with an LED flashlight and from behind with a Lumecube Air.
What you’ll need
Sparkling water
You can use various kinds of carbonated waters or sodas (perhaps champagne if you’re feeling decadent). What you’re after are the bubbles. There are no rules here and so use what suits your vision.
For the images here, I found seltzer water well-suited to the purpose. It is crystal-clear, has good carbonation, and with no sugar added doesn’t leave a sticky mess when it comes time for cleanup.
The colored pencils were taped together, clamped to the rectangular vase, and lit from below with an LED flashlight.
Glass container
What you use will depend on the image you’re trying to create. I found a rectangular glass vase with flat sides well-suited for the purpose. A small aquarium could work well.
Of course, if the subject and the theme you seek are different, wine or champagne glasses could work too. The only consideration here is to think about how the glass may distort anything placed inside it.
Essentially the same shot, but substituting different color backgrounds for different looks. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/10 sec. f/11 ISO 800
Subjects
There is no end to the items you might choose to submerge for a sparkling water still life photograph. I found that things that seem consistent with the theme to be good choices. The kinds of things one might find in a watery-bubbly environment.
Fruits and flowers can be good choices. You’ll also see I used shells and other aquatic items. Of course, other items with good color and interest become even more interesting covered with bubbles.
A quick dip into some science behind all of this – items with rougher surfaces, those with more nucleation sites where bubbles can form, can be more interesting. The flowers in my shots demonstrate this concept. Bubbles won’t form as easily on smoother, non-porous surfaces.
The surfaces of the roses and stem have many “nucleation sites” where the CO2 bubbles in the seltzer water can form. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/30 sec. f/8 ISO 800
Cleanliness
Most often, you will be shooting close-up, very possibly with a macro lens, for this kind of photography. The smallest of items, scratches, and dirt on the glass container, dirt and other material suspended in the water and such, will all show up and perhaps even become places where bubbles might form.
You should scrupulously clean the container you will be using before you get started. Doing so will save you lots of time later trying to remove unwanted specks from your photo digitally.
These shots illustrate some difficulties you might have. The image on the left is straight out of camera. The slow shutter speed of 1/10th second was insufficient to freeze the motion of the bubbles leaving streaks. The starfish was buoyant and floated in the container which wasn’t large enough to allow it to fit fully in frame. The image at right is edited to remove some distractions, but this wasn’t going to be a keeper. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/10 sec. f/22 ISO 800
Setup
Using your cleaned container, place the subject(s) you want inside before adding any liquid. Consider whether the subjects will float. Even if they are just slightly buoyant, once they are covered with bubbles, they are apt to get some extra lift. Be ready with some clamps, wire, tape, or other means of keeping them submerged and where you want them.
Compose and frame your shot. Depending on the subject size and how close you need to be, you may find a macro lens is needed. Other alternatives could be extension tubes, close-up filters, or a reversed-lens.
If you don’t need to be as close, you might put your camera further away and zoom into the shot.
NOTE: Do all of this before adding the water to the container. The bubbles will dissipate with time and you don’t want that happening while you’re still setting up.
Different containers will change the look of your subject, but the curved glass of this glass does distort the image the liquid in the submerged portion of the rose magnifies it making it seem larger than the above-water portion of the flower and the curve of the glass adds other distortions. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/2 sec. f/20 ISO 800
Lighting considerations
This image shows lighting from below with a LED flashlight and from the front with a Lumecube Air.
This is a great opportunity to experiment with lighting sources and techniques.
Working in a glass container gives you the opportunity to light from almost any direction; top, bottom, front, back, left, right, or a combination of these. Whether you use flash, continuous lights, natural lighting, whatever you can come up with – it’s all up to you.
Definitely use this exercise as an opportunity to play and explore. Digital film is cheap. This shouldn’t be a one-and-done kind of shoot. Make lots of shots, exploring lighting placement, various apertures and shutter speeds, light modifiers, whatever you like.
Same subject, front-lit on the left, back-lit on the right. Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/13 sec. f/22 ISO 800Same image, different backgrounds. Experiment with different things! Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/10 sec. f/11 ISO 800
Backgrounds
The addition of bubbles to your subject will cause it to become a “busier” composition. Having a patterned background is apt to distract or overly complicate the image.
I find solid backgrounds, and often plain white or black to work best. (I’ll get into the advantages of those simple white or black backgrounds in a minute.) Again, this will depend on the look you are trying to achieve, but do give consideration to not only your subject but the background.
Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens – 1/13 sec. f/16 ISO 800
Editing and cleanup
I can almost guarantee your image will need some work in editing after the shoot. Simplifying and cleaning up things you don’t want will be necessary.
Adjusting highlights, shadows, white and black levels, and cloning out distractions will all improve your photo. Whatever your editing tools of choice might be, use this exercise as a means of teaching yourself more about what you can do and how to do it.
My tools of choice are Adobe Lightroom Classic and Photoshop.
Having a white or black background can help a lot in that with adjustments, the adjustment brush, the histogram highlight and shadow clipping tools, and the spot healing tool, I can often do whatever I need in Lightroom alone.
For tougher cloning or healing operations, I may escalate the edit into Photoshop.
Images with color backgrounds are apt to be more challenging. Again, use this exercise as a means of learning tools and techniques you might not have previously explored.
When editing an image in Lightroom with a black or white background, you may purposely want to have the background go totally black or white. Turning on the highlight/shadow clipping tools will show 100% black (0,0,0) areas in a blue highlight, totally white (255,255,255) areas in red. The “J” key is the shortcut to toggle this off and on. You can then use the adjustment brush, automask, and other LR to “paint out” distracting elements.
Flip it
Often while making a sparkling water still life, your subject will be down in the liquid. Don’t overlook the simple ability to flip your image vertically during editing to put it in a more natural viewing position.
Have fun!
Maybe the biggest reason for this table-top photo exercise is it is fun. You will be amazed at how you can make otherwise simple subjects much more visually exciting with the addition of some bubbles and creative lighting when you make sparkling water still life photos.
So, if you have to stay home, why not find ways to creatively use your time to expand your photo skills and make some nice images?
Give it a try, post your creations in the comments section of this article and be well my friends.
The post Sparkling Water Still Life – Put some Fizz in your Photos appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
The post Photographing a Still Life Series for Exhibition or a Portfolio appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.
If you’ve ever tried photographing still life images, you’ll know that making a single good picture is relatively easy, but shooting a still life series is much harder! Trying to make a set of images that feel like they belong together can be very challenging for many reasons.
If you’re shooting to create a portfolio, or perhaps even for an exhibition, you’ll want to create images that feel like they belong together. That way, the body of work will appear more thoughtful, and its message will be stronger.
But no matter how hard you try to make images look like they are a series, there often seems to be something that doesn’t look quite right. So how can you overcome these challenges and shoot a still life series that feels like the pictures are coherent?
What is coherency?
When it comes to these images there’s a number of ways that a still life series can look like they belong together. But it really starts at the beginning.
Shooting a series of images that aren’t connected thematically is possible, but you have to pay attention to the technical aspects of your shots for coherency.
The most useful thing that you can do is have a series in mind when you shoot your first image. Picking a theme that will weave through your images and tie them all together is probably the easiest way to get a coherent feel to your series of shots.
If you shoot images around a theme, then the theme should automatically help to make them feel like they’re all a part of the same project. Perhaps the easiest way to approach still life thematically is to try to tell a story through the images. When you try to include storytelling in a still life series, it should help the images feel like they belong together.
But sometimes it’s not all about the theme and the storytelling; sometimes, you want to pull images together visually. So here are some suggestions on how to go about doing just that.
Use the same viewpoint
When you’re planning out your still life series, experiment initially with a few different viewpoints. But consider sticking to one throughout the series. Swapping viewpoints between pictures can make the images feel like they’re not quite part of a coherent set.
Consider using a tripod in order to keep everything the same. It’ll make it easier to keep your framing consistent for each shot, as well as keeping your distance the same from the camera to the object. And don’t forget to think about your composition as you place objects into your frame.
Of course, it is possible to change the viewpoint and still keep the images looking like they are part of the same still life series, as the image above shows. You’ll just have to make sure that you keep some of the other variables about your shot the same. Perhaps make sure that your theme or story is stronger than you might otherwise have needed to make it.
Use the same focal length
Keeping the distance between the camera and object the same, and also the focal length of the lens, can be a really great trick to keep your images looking like part of a series. When we use different focal lengths or vary the distance from the object to the lens it can cause distortion. Distortion causes our brain to realise that something isn’t really quite right.
Left: Shot with 35mm lens (50mm equiv.) Centre: Shot with 18mm lens (28mm equiv.) with the subject in the same place Right: Shot with 18mm lens (28mm equiv.) with subject moved closer to camera
While on the surface, the left and right images above look similar, you can see on closer inspection that there is distortion. In the right-hand image above, that I shot with a wider focal length, you can see more of the top of the apple, less of the bottom. And the apple appears to be bulging out towards the camera.
Of course, there’s really no “correct” focal length to use when it comes to shooting still life images. You may want the distortion that a wider angle lens brings to the image. In a way, the wide-angle creates a strange look that could almost pay homage to the artist Paul Cézanne who painted both the side and top of objects in his still life – an “impossible” view.
And on the other hand, a 50mm equivalent focal length gives a much more “natural” view because it’s closer to how the human eye views objects.
The important thing if you choose to vary your focal length or distance from the camera to object is to keep enough other variables the same. That way, your images still look like they are part of the same series.
Post-process images in a similar way
If I was going to shoot a still life series on film, I’d definitely make sure I shoot the same film type for all of my images. That way, they’d all be similar in color, tone, and feel.
Digital is no different. Post-processing images to make them look as similar as possible in style and feel can make a huge difference when it comes to feeling like they’re part of a series.
This is a great time to think about introducing something unique to your post-processing rather than just going for a totally natural look. It could be a slight split-toning in Lightroom with colors in the shadows, or a particular black and white recipe.
The key is to create a distinctive look and then apply it to all images, applying minor adjustments to each one to make them look coherent. Then your images, even if they are of quite different subjects, will be pulled together with a common look and feel.
Keeping your studio setup and lighting the same can really help when it comes to post-processing to make your shots look similar. Starting from the same “canvas” will mean that you don’t need to be a total post-processing wizard. Instead, small adjustments will pack a real punch when it comes to coherency.
Keep experimenting
When you’re planning your series, make sure that you keep experimenting. Try all kinds of different technical approaches to start with and narrow it down to the ones that suit the theme (and your style) the best. And then, once you have your images, experiment with the post-processing before saving your recipe as a preset so that you can use it to help you create a coherent look amongst all your images.
Remember that simply experimenting by changing your background can affect the whole feel of your shot! I shot these images were in the same lighting as the “light” images in this article and with similar settings. Both: ISO400, 35mm (50mm equiv.), f4, 1/240th sec
Don’t forget that you can apply these ideas to other kinds of photography too.
For instance, when creating a series of portraits, you might want to think about using a single focal length, aperture, and a post-processing recipe. It will help all your shots feel similar. These ideas about shooting a still life series can be applied to more than just inanimate objects!
The post Photographing a Still Life Series for Exhibition or a Portfolio appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.
The post The top Still Life Photography Cleaning Techniques in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.
Photoshop is a powerful program with a great variety of tools to help you get the most out of your images. From simple cleaning techniques to complex composites, the software offers everything photographers need for photo manipulation at all levels.
There are a variety of tools to help you, depending on your subject and goals for your image. With the exception of product photography, there are only a few key tools that you’ll need 90% of the time in retouching still life photography. Cleaning techniques in Photoshop are the foundation of beautiful imagery in this exciting but challenging genre.
Let’s take a look at what they are.
Canon 5D Mark III, EF 100mm 1:2.8, 1/160 f/9 ISO 100 Manual Mode, Evaluative Metering
The cleaning tools in Photoshop
There are just a few key tools that you need for cleaning techniques in Photoshop. These are: the Spot Healing tool, the Healing tool, the Clone Stamp tool, and the Patch tool. These tools are all you really need to take your still life images from good to great.
Each tool has its strengths and weakness. Some will achieve desired results more easily than others. When you combine the tools together, the result is a clean and refined image.
Canon 5D Mark III, EF 100mm 1:2.8, 1/250 f/5.6 ISO 100 Manual Mode, Evaluative Metering
The Spot Healing Tool
The Spot Healing tool is the quickest way to fix little blemishes in Photoshop because it doesn’t require you to select an area to sample pixels from. Photoshop’s algorithm looks at nearby pixels and replaces them with pixels that it determines to be a good match.
When using this tool, you have some choices that will help Photoshop make the best guess as to what pixels would be the best replacement.
You can find the Spot Healing tool by the icon that looks like a bandaid. The shortcut for this tool is “J“.
When using this tool, you have some choices that will help Photoshop make the best guess as to what pixels would be the best replacement.
First, you want to choose a very soft brush. Start with a hardness of “0” and increase it slightly if needed. When retouching in Photoshop, every image is unique, so you have to assess your approach on a case-by-case basis.
Proximity Match will only look at the pixels around the sample area.
When you use this tool, it’s best to choose Content-Aware Fill. This will ensure that the tool chooses pixels that will give you a seamless result.
In still life photography, it’s a good starting tool to quickly clean up any dust or small bits and blemishes before moving on to bigger blemishes or imperfections. It’s better than using the Spot Removal tool in Lightroom because if you use this tool repeatedly, it will slow down Lightroom’s performance very quickly.
Although the Spot Healing tool is one of the best cleaning techniques in Photoshop, one drawback to note is that using it excessively in a given area can lead to a plastic-like look. You may have to layer your use of this tool with others.
The Healing Brush Tool
Still life should look clean and refined. Canon 5D Mark III, EF 24-70mm f/2.8, 1/160 f/9 ISO 100 Manual Mode, Evaluative Metering
The Healing Brush tool is similar to the Spot Healing Brush tool. However, when using this tool, you choose the area that you want to sample from. This gives you much more control, but of course, it’s not as quick as simply using the Spot Healing tool.
Imperfections blend into the surrounding areas. the brush works by matching texture, lighting, transparency, and shading of sample pixels to the pixels in the area we want to heal.
To use this tool, pick a source point to sample from. Think about what is going to work in terms of color and texture.
Start with a hardness of zero. You need a soft brush, but can add a bit of hardness if needed, depending on what you want to heal
Choose Aligned and Current & Below.
Choose where you want to select from and head over to where you want to “paste” the pixels
When utilizing cleaning techniques in Photoshop, the Healing Brush is a powerful tool because of the control it gives you.
Using the Healing Brush to clean up small flaws. Canon 5D Mark III EF 100mm 1:2.8 1/160 f/5.6 ISO 100 Manual Mode, Evaluative Metering
The Patch Tool
Using the Patch tool in Photoshop is another important tool for cleaning techniques in Photoshop. It’s like a large, customizable Healing Brush tool. The Patch tool repairs a selected area with pixels from another area. It seeks to match, lighting, shade, and texture from sample pixels to the source.
It basically works like a “cut and paste” tool. However, it doesn’t work very well on larger areas because there usually are differences in tonality.
If you need to work on a larger area, you should attack the area by working in sections. Also, note that it also doesn’t work well on edges. In this case, you may have to use another tool or combine it with another tool for more precision.
To use the Patch tool, select it from the sidebar or use the “J” key. Also, decide on your blending parameters.
The Patch tool’s Content-Aware mode works on empty layers by sampling below. It shuffles the content around a bit as it acts like a patch. If you’re using normal mode, don’t worry about lightness or color, as there will be a healing calculation when you release the mouse.
Use your mouse or pen to draw a slightly loose selection around the problem area (as pictured above) and then drag it to an area that might work to replace the pixels. You can drag it several times until you find a proper match.
The Clone Stamp Tool
Perhaps one of the most popular and often used tools in Photoshop, the Clone stamp tool may possibly be your best ally when employing cleaning techniques in Photoshop.
The Clone Stamp copies pixels to a new location. With this tool, you’re literally painting over one part of an image with another. You can do this in both very small and large amounts, depending on the brush size you use.
Unlike the Patch Tool, it works very well in areas where you have texture, pattern, or an edge. It doesn’t work as well in areas where you have conflicting exposures on colors.
Although it’s a fantastically useful tool, when it comes to cleaning techniques in Photoshop, it might not work perfectly in every situation; you’ll need to combine it with other tools and techniques.
To activate the Clone Stamp, use the shortcut > Cmd/Ctrl + S.
Use the clone stamp to clean up areas with texture.
You can also use “T” to Transform to adjust further. This means that you can alter the size and rotation of your cloned area to make it blend better.
One last tip
Canon 5D Mark III, EF 100mm 1:2.8, 1/160 f/5.6 ISO 100 Manual Mode, Evaluative Metering
When working with cleaning techniques in Photoshop, it’s a good idea to work using a lot of layers. This will allow you to go back a few steps if you make mistakes.
Using these tools together in Photoshop will give you the best results and will cover most of your bases when retouching your still life photography.
Do you have any other tips you’d like to share with us on cleaning techniques in Photoshop for still life images? If so, please do so in the comments section.
The post The top Still Life Photography Cleaning Techniques in Photoshop appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Darina Kopcok.
The post Stuck at Home? – Ways Still Life Photography Can Keep Your Skills Sharp appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
As I write this, many of us are holed up at home. So what can we do to continue to practice our craft as photographers, have a bit of diversion and enjoyment, and maybe learn some new techniques? I suggest you give still life photography at home a try.
Still life images like this were what painters often did back before there was photography. This shot needed no fancy equipment. The “light-painted” shot used only a flashlight and a long exposure. This is just one of the techniques you can try if you want to give still life photography at home a try. Canon 6D with Canon 50mm “nifty-fifty” lens, 5 sec. f/14 ISO 100
If you’re a landscape, sports, fashion, portrait, or type of photographer who does work requiring you to get out and about, working at home doing still life photos on the kitchen table could be a new thing. Still life? Really? Why? Well, stay with me here and we’ll explore all the things you can learn.
1. Composition
In much of photography, you deal with the scene as you find it. Maybe one of the best things about still life photography is you are in complete control. You pick the subjects, the arrangement, and the background.
Making a shot in a hurry before the moment passes isn’t an issue. You can take your time, practice compositional concepts like the Rule of Thirds, the Rule of Odds, leading lines, negative space, simplification, background choice, depth-of-field, and many other artistic concepts of composition.
You set the scene and are in complete control. Few other genres of photography offer such an advantage.
A simple photo that explores some of the standard composition rules – Rule of Thirds, Rule of Odds, Leading Lines, etc. The monochrome version simplifies the image even further, making the shot even more about shape, line, tone, and texture. Sony DSC-HX5V, 1/100 sec. f/10 ISO 125
2. Lighting
Let there be light.
You decide what type, how many sources, whether to use hard or soft lighting. Might some colored lighting using gels give the look you want?
How will you use light to draw the viewer’s eye where you want it?
Have you explored the use of reflectors, fill light, or “flags” to block light from certain portions of the scene? Do you know what a gobo or a cucoloris is? A shoot, grid, or gridded-snoot?
Still life photography at home lets you be the set and lighting director.
It’s all about the lighting. I photographed the clock in front of a computer monitor with clock-themed images on it. The clock itself, I light-painted with a flashlight. Canon 50D with Tamron 17-50mm lens, 10 sec. f/18 ISO 100. The kiwi slices were placed in a glass dish and lit from below with an LED flashlight. LG G4 cellphone camera, 1/30 sec. f/1.8 ISO 200
3. Explore camera angles
A distinction between a snapshooter and a photographer is the former sees a scene, raises the camera to their eye, and snaps a shot. Little thought is given to composition and most photos are taken from the eye-level of the photographer. Yawn.
In a world where we are inundated with images, making yours different is the only way to stand out. Finding perspectives others haven’t thought of is one way to do that.
Learn to see differently. This is a window blind shot as illuminated by the morning sun. The photo was then rotated 90-degrees counter-clockwise. Canon 6D with Canon 24-105 f4 Lens, 1/6000 sec. f/16 ISO 800
Rather than always shooting from eye or tripod level, mix it up. Get up and look down for a birds-eye vantage point. Get down and try a worms-eye view. Have you heard of a “Dutch-tilt”? Maybe try looking through objects, using them as frames for your subject.
Much of my photography is landscape work, so I’m a dedicated tripod shooter. The advantages of that are, of course, stability and repeatability. I can leave the camera in a fixed spot and move other things; the lights and subjects, use long and different exposures and have variations of the same shot.
There’s something to be said, however, for getting off the tripod.
Going handheld will help you move more easily and explore different angles. Whatever you do, let me repeat something I said earlier…work to make your image different.
See if you can identify these household objects. When doing macro, and seeing differently, even stuck in the house you can find subjects for still life photography. (Clockwise from top left – Canon 6D , reversed lens, 1/40 sec. ISO 400, Canon 6D w/ reversed lens, 1/40 sec ISO 400, Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens, 1/4 sec. f/32 ISO 1250, Canon 6D with Tamron 90mm macro lens, 1.3 sec, f/32, ISO 1250
4. Lens selection
Doing still life photography at home is a great time to explore how different lenses can give you different looks.
You won’t have to worry so much about dust getting on your sensor as you change lenses and you’ll have a place to put lenses down while you do change them (rather than fearing a fumble onto the ground).
Try some things. Note how a wide-angle lens emphasizes the size of objects nearest the lens, how a telephoto compresses space between objects, or how a wide aperture reduces your depth-of-field. Learn what the “sweet-spot” is of each of your lenses, that aperture where the lens is at its sharpest.
Table-top photography is also a great opportunity to play with prime lenses, moving the camera or subject rather than zooming. I’ve grown to love my little Canon “nifty-fifty” for use in doing still life photography at home. This economical little lens might be one of my sharpest.
Using my shell/beach-stone collection and a pair of my wife’s sandals I was able to make this product-photography-like shot. Note the camera angle looking almost straight down. Canon 6D with Canon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, 1/80 sec. f/20 ISO 200
5. Get close with macro
If you’ve not tried macro photography, being sequestered at home is a perfect opportunity to give it a try. It requires practice, patience, and a controlled environment where you are in charge of the composition and lighting (and there’s no wind). Being able to slow down and pay careful attention is a real plus, as being meticulous is a key to making good macro shots.
Often, your cell phone camera can take a great macro photo. This feather was shot with my LG V30 cell phone.
So you don’t have a macro lens? Try some alternatives.
The reversed-lens macro technique is a great way to dip your toe in macro waters on a budget. You will also find that common household objects become fascinating subjects when photographed at a macro level. Just be careful – macro-photography is contagious.
Don’t have a dedicated macro lens? This extreme macro, (the drop was only about 2mm wide), was shot with an old Vivitar film camera lens. The lens was reversed and combined with three (12mm, 20mm, and 36mm) extension tubes combined with the reversed lens at 28mm. This is also a 2-image focus stack – one for the drop and the other for the flower inside. Extension tubes on my Canon 6D. 15 sec. reversed lens, ISO 100
6. Tell a story
When choosing your subjects for a session of still life photography at home, give thought to telling a story. Rather than just choose random objects, think like a movie set director using the scene to tell the story.
Use your objects, background, lighting, camera angle, and whatever other photographic tricks you can summon. Your objective is to make the viewer see the story in your photo. A picture can be worth a thousand words, if you choose those “words” carefully.
Carefully selecting your still life subjects can allow you to create a story. My titles might help you understand what I was illustrating here. “Awaiting Santa” – Canon 50D, Canon 50mm prime lens, .5 sec,f/5.6, ISO 100 , “Family Album Photographs” – Canon 6D, Canon 50mm prime lens, f/22, ISO 800 , “Doc Brown makes a housecall,” – Canon 50D, XX lens, f/XX, ISO XXX , “The Conchologist” – Canon 6D, Canon 24-105 lens, 1/6 sec. f/4, ISO 100
7. Simple is better
A photo friend once said something that has stuck with me about a good photo – “Anything that doesn’t add, detracts.”
It’s important that, with a glance, the viewer immediately “gets it.” Without even thinking, they know what your intended subject is and what you are trying to communicate.
Landscape photographers must find ways to simplify the scenes they photograph, but as a still life table-top photographer, you have complete control.
Carefully consider what to put in and what to take out, where to concentrate the light, what to leave in shadow, and what is in and out-of-focus. The strongest photos will be those with a single, powerful message.
Sometimes the simplest images can be the most powerful. Canon 50D, Canon 50mm prime lens, 8 sec. f/22, ISO 100. Frozen with flash. Ordinary objects can become much more interesting with dramatic lighting. This one was light-painted with a flashlight. Canon 6D, Canon 24-105 lens, 10 sec. f/11, ISO 100
8. Reflect on this
Reflections can elevate an otherwise ho-hum subject to a new and exciting level. When doing still life photography at home, a good method of creating a reflection is to use a piece of black plexiglass under your set-up.
Unlike a mirror, which will create two reflections due to the surface and the mirrored back of the glass, the acrylic sheet creates just one. Of course, the inventive photographer will find other ways to create reflections as well.
A piece of black plexiglass reflects the jar of marbles. The string of Christmas lights provides a background of bokeh highlights. Canon 6D, Canon 24-105mm lens, 1/8 sec. f/4, ISO 800
9. Bokeh and how to use it
“Bokeh” (however you pronounce it), is defined as the “blurred quality or effect seen in the out-of-focus portion of a photograph taken with a narrow depth of field.”
Still life photography is a great opportunity to explore how you can use it to simplify the background, keep viewer attention where you want it, and enhance the story you’re trying to tell. You can also try some special effects bokeh using patterns cut in pieces of paper and put on your lens. If you’re a shut-in frustrated photographer, why not brighten your day making some fun “bokehlicious” pics?
My Canon “nifty-fifty”, the 50mm f/1.8 prime which often isn’t much over $ 100 US, is one of my sharpest lenses. It also creates interesting bokeh highlights when opened up to a wide aperture. Canon 50D, Canon 50mm “nifty-fifty” lens, 1/25 sec. f/2.8, ISO 100
10. Food photography
Food photography is by its very nature, still life photography.
Top food photographers make good money by making food images look especially delicious. Study great food photos for clues as to composition, lighting, backgrounds, props, camera angles, and other tricks. Then see if you can emulate those tricks.
Maybe grab some cookies and a glass of milk, or a beer and some pretzels, and see what you can do to replicate great photo photography looks. Not only will you hone your photo skills, but when you’re done, you can have a snack.
Food photography certainly falls into the genre of still life. This is definitely something to try if you’re having to stay home. Canon 20D, Canon 50mm prime lens, 1/250 sec. f/4, ISO 200
11. For my next trick
Two different years I did what some call a “Project 52,” a photo assignment a week for an entire year. I made it a point to try some special tricks I’d never tried before – photographing smoke, water splashes, flames and sparks, and oil and water abstracts.
Using both long exposures, as well as the extremely short duration of a flash and a camera trigger, were things I learned.
If you need ideas, search dPS, or Google “creative photography” and see what catches your eye, then figure out how to do it yourself. Part of the fun of still life photography at home is using your creativity to make shots you’ve never before attempted.
Light for these shots is provided solely by the sparklers used. The long exposure allows for interesting light trails. Left – Canon 50D, Canon 50mm prime lens lens, 4 sec. f/11, ISO 100 Right – Canon 50D, Canon 50mm prime lens, 1 sec. f/11, ISO 100 Who says still life photos must be still? The “Raspberry Milk Splash” froze the action using the short duration of a speedlight, Canon 50D, Tamron 17-50 lens, 1/60 f/25, ISO 100. “Tumblin’ Dice” was a longer exposure with a second-curtain sync flash. Canon 50D, Canon 17-40 lens, 1.0 sec f/13 ISO 100
12. Advertising and product photography
Making the ordinary extraordinary is why skilled advertising photographers get paid the big bucks. Pick up a magazine and study the way common objects are staged, lit, and photographed. Then find some objects at home and see if you can emulate those looks.
What might look like a simple shot is often much more complex if you were to take a look behind the scenes. Don’t have a studio with a bunch of fancy lights and modifiers? No worry, see what you can do “on the cheap” with simpler lighting equipment. You might be surprised at how using brains rather than bucks can still result in a stunning photo.
When doing still life photography at home, remember that rather than having powerful studio lights or even Speedlights, you can simply increase the exposure time since your subject isn’t moving and you can shoot using a tripod. Small, inexpensive hardware store LED lights like these can work surprising well.
Something else to consider is making photos for items you’d like to sell on places like eBay, Craigslist, or other online sites.
Your item with a nicely lit and composed shot will attract much more attention (and perhaps even fetch a higher price) than a “quicky” snapshot someone else made with their cellphone.
If you plan to do a lot of this kind of work, you might also look into buying a simple light tent or perhaps making your own. For smaller objects, a collapsible light tent can be had for under $ 20.00 U.S. and will give you pretty good results.
Note the lighting set-up in the inset shot using just the cheap LED flashlights for illumination. When doing still life photography at home, learn how you can get big results with little lights. Canon 6D, Canon 24-105 lens, 3.2 sec, f/14 ISO 100I wanted to accentuate the “emergency feel” of this police badge and so used a blue-gelled light on camera left and a red-gelled light on the right. Canon 6D, Canon 50mm prime lens, 2 sec. f/20 ISO 100.
13. No travel required
Even in times when we feel more comfortable traveling, not all of us can get to the exotic hot spots where we see other photographers going. I’m not expecting to get to Iceland anytime soon.
When doing still life photography at home, that’s not an issue. No one is going to guess that the location where you took that really cool still life photo was your kitchen table.
I formerly wrote for another now discontinued online photo site, Improve Photography, and did an article called “Tips for the Non-Traveling Photographer.” I’d encourage you to have a look, as almost all of the images in that piece were done at home or within 20-miles of my house. Imagination can often take you much further as a photographer than a passport.
Stuck at home? Drag out that collection of whatever you might have and photograph it for fun. “Campaign Buttons” – Canon 6D, Canon 24-105mm lens, 6 sec. f/22 ISO XXX. “Foreign Coins” – Canon 6D, Canon 24-105mm lens, 2.5 sec. f/22 ISO 100
14. Exercise for photo fitness
Want to be more photographically-fit? The key is the same as increasing your physical fitness – work out more.
The key to being a better photographer is routinely making more photos, learning new techniques, and practicing. Waiting to pick up the camera until you go on a special trip, attend an event or make family photos isn’t going to cut it if you want to be good. Unless you’re taking photos at least a few times a week, you’re probably not getting enough “photographic exercise” to be a strong photographer.
No flash, but high noon sun, a reflector, an aquarium, a high shutter speed, a fast trigger finger, timing, some luck and a lot of tries were what was needed for this shot. I had a fun afternoon making all kinds of splash photos on a picnic table in the backyard. Canon 50D, Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens, 1/3200 sec. f/4 ISO 400.
These are unusual times. You may find you’re not able to get out as much, perhaps not even going to your regular job. So why not use that free time to keep yourself engaged, entertained, and further your photo education?
Try some still life photography at home. Shoot, review, repeat.
As you get better, do as you would with exercise, and make the next session more challenging. Then post your images online and here in the comments section of this site so we can admire your work.
Be engaged, be productive, be learning and growing as a photographer and above all… Until next time, be well my friends.
The post Stuck at Home? – Ways Still Life Photography Can Keep Your Skills Sharp appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Rick Ohnsman.
The post Does Olympus Still Have a Place in the Camera Market? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
These days, all the camera headlines seem to be dominated by Canon, Nikon, and Sony, with the occasional mention of Fujifilm thrown in.
Olympus, with its Micro Four-Thirds system, rarely makes the news. And popular resources frequently neglect Olympus in their recommendations, suggesting “Big Three” bodies for photographers selecting a mirrorless system.
But what is this about? Why doesn’t Olympus, a camera company with a history stretching back to the early 1900s, get any attention?
Is this a mistake?
Or does Olympus no longer have a place in today’s camera market?
That’s the question that this article will answer. I’m going to explain the benefits and drawbacks of Olympus cameras compared to other manufacturers.
And then I’m going to give a verdict:
Whether Olympus is a manufacturer that still makes sense in today’s world…
…or whether Olympus’s time is up.
Let’s get started.
The cons of Olympus
No camera system is perfect, which means that there are going to be some photographers that won’t be satisfied with Olympus’s products.
Here are the key issues that consistently come up with Olympus cameras, issues that help explain why Olympus hasn’t been getting much interest of late:
1. The micro-four-thirds sensor
In many ways, the lack of interest in Olympus stems from one thing:
The Micro-Four-Thirds sensor.
Olympus only produces Micro-Four-Thirds mirrorless cameras. The company offers zero full-frame options and zero APS-C options.
Canon, Nikon, and Sony all produce full-frame mirrorless cameras. Even Fujifilm, which ignores full-frame, offers APS-C sensors that push smaller sensor technology to its limits.
Why is this such a big deal?
Larger sensors offer two key qualities over smaller sensors:
Better high-ISO capabilities.
And better dynamic range.
So if you’re someone who requires either of these features, you’re going to feel compelled to buy a full-frame option over a more limited MFT body. For instance, you’ll be hard-pressed to find landscape shooters who don’t use a full-frame body. Landscape photographers frequently deal with high dynamic range scenes and need to maximize low-light image quality, which is why a full-frame camera is the tool of choice.
2. Resolution
A larger sensor doesn’t guarantee high resolution.
But it is closely correlated with it. All of the high-resolution camera models in the mirrorless market today are full-frame.
And when it comes to the megapixel race, Olympus hasn’t been doing so well. The company’s most professional bodies top out at about 20 MP, with some of their models only coming to 16 MP.
Here’s the thing about megapixel counts:
While they often don’t much affect the average photographer…
…they are real attention grabbers.
A big portion of camera headlines is dominated by the latest megapixel marvels, which means that Olympus, with its 16 and 20 MP sensors, just doesn’t get much coverage.
Olympus’s OM-D E-M10 III only offers 16 MP.
And resolution is talked about so frequently that the need for a high megapixel count is burned into the mind of almost every beginner photographer.
Don’t get me wrong:
Megapixels do matter.
But they only matter to some photographers – those that need to maximize detail, printing sizes, or cropping potential.
For others, more megapixels are just a comforting spec, but not a feature that’s truly necessary.
3. Crop factor
Here’s the final issue with Micro Four-Thirds cameras:
You get a huge, 2x crop factor.
And this makes basic wide-angle lenses (e.g., in the 20-30mm range) become standard focal lengths.
For landscape photographers, this is a huge issue. For sweeping scenic shots, you’re going to need a system that can offer true wide-angle coverage.
Though this 2x crop factor can be a benefit for photographers requiring a lot of reach, such as those who shoot sports or wildlife.
4. Electronic viewfinder quality
It’s a fact:
Olympus’s electronic viewfinders just aren’t that great.
Their best cameras offer a 2.36M-dot resolution, and it just doesn’t look that good compared to many Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm options.
So for photographers coming from DSLRs and requiring a clear, sharp EVF experience, Olympus’s options don’t cut it.
The pros of Olympus
Though Olympus doesn’t get much attention, there are things that Olympus is doing better than pretty much every other camera manufacturer out there:
1. Camera and lens size
One thing that Olympus does really, really well:
Camera system compactness.
This is where the micro-four-thirds sensor really starts to pay dividends, keeping camera body size way down and keeping lens size equally small.
In fact, while cameras by Sony and Fujifilm, in particular, are often very compact, these systems will often come back to bite you when buying lenses. Mirrorless glass is often as big as DSLR glass, and this can be a problem. For one thing, bigger and heavier is just a pain to deal with, plus big lenses feel unbalanced when mounted on a compact camera.
So if you’re a travel photographer, you’ll love how easy it is to pack Olympus kit.
If you’re a street photographer, you’ll love how small and unobtrusive Olympus systems really are.
And if you’re a wildlife photographer who spends days hiking in the field, having a light, small body can be a real lifesaver.
2. Shooting speeds
If you take a close look at Olympus specifications, you’ll see that a number of their cameras offer shooting up to 60 frames per second.
And I’m talking still photography, not video.
Let me clarify:
You can shoot at 60 fps with no caveats, no cropped sensor, no drawbacks (though it is with the electronic sensor, rather than the mechanical one).
This is a huge benefit for anybody doing high-speed or action photography. Of course, you’re going to fill up your memory cards pretty quickly if you use the 60 fps option all the time, but this high-speed option is dead useful in certain situations where you just can’t miss the shot.
And by the way, you also have an option to shoot in Pro Capture mode, which ensures that the camera starts taking photos when you press the shutter button halfway. Then, when you finally press the shutter button down all the way, the last dozen or so images are saved to your memory card (along with any images taken after you fully hit the shutter button). This is fantastic for getting unanticipated shots, be it in sports or wildlife or event photography.
So if you’re the type that wishes for serious high-speed shooting capabilities, the Olympus cameras are definitely worth a look.
3. Image stabilization
Here’s the final key benefit of Olympus cameras:
They offer the best in-body image stabilization of any mirrorless camera system.
Some Olympus cameras offer seven or more stops of stabilization when including a stabilized lens, which allows for handholding down to 1s and longer (depending on the focal length and the steadiness of your hands).
If you’re the type of photographer who prefers to work without a tripod, this is the absolute best possible way to do it. You can capture gorgeous scenics using narrow apertures and not have to worry about camera shake.
Plus, even for the tripod-happy photographer, there are going to be times when carrying such support just isn’t feasible. But if you have an IBIS-equipped Olympus camera with you, you’ll be able to get a similar range of shots without a tripod.
So does Olympus still have a place in the 2020 camera market?
Absolutely.
Though Olympus systems do come with a few drawbacks, they also include characteristics that no other camera manufacturer can match. Characteristics such as:
Camera and lens compactness
High-speed continuous shooting
In-body stabilization
Are these benefits worth it for everyone?
No. If you’re a landscape photographer who plans to make huge, wall-sized prints, you’re going to want to pick a different system. If you’re a sports photographer who requires the best autofocus system that money can buy, Olympus probably isn’t your best bet either. And if you’re an event photographer who consistently shoots with four or five-digit ISOs, then I doubt that Olympus is for you.
But if you’re a photographer who prizes a compact system over everything else, someone who:
Travels frequently
Goes on long hiking trips
Needs blazing-fast continuous shooting
Needs an unobtrusive system for street photography
Just hates being weighed down by heavy equipment
Doesn’t like carrying a tripod
…then Olympus is going to be just what you need.
So before you buy a Sony, Canon, Nikon, or Fujifilm body, ask yourself:
Might Olympus be the better choice?
Maybe it’s not. You might do better with another system.
But it’s at least worth considering!
What are your thoughts on this? Do you have anything you could add? Please do so in the comments!
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
The post Does Olympus Still Have a Place in the Camera Market? appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
Office mascot and all-round Good Boy, Belvedere. Pictured in October, before we all had to pack up and work from home. Good times.
Well, here we are. It seems like a year ago that I was pulling alarming statistics together about the economic impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak, but in fact it’s only been two weeks.
Back then we were still working from our main office here in Seattle, and still mostly going about our normal lives. One of us was on vacation in New York, and one of us was preparing for a short holiday outside of the country. One of us was planning a wedding, in May. I can’t remember what I was doing, but I’m sure it was trivial – it normally is.
At the risk of adding more mud to the landslide of hyperbole that has so far characterized 2020, all of that now feels like a different world.
A couple of weeks ago, I was writing about how – whatever the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 on the global population turned out to be – the virus was ‘already’ having a devastating economic impact. On the photography industry specifically, but across the board. Things have moved quickly. With countries around the globe counting the human cost in terms of suspected cases, confirmed cases, and (sadly – inevitably) deaths, it’s obvious that we’re living in a changed reality.
Here on the west coast, we have the unwelcome distinction of being right in the middle of things in the USA at the moment. As a team, we’ve been working from home and for about two weeks now we’ve been virtually self-isolating. We’re following the guidance of WA state officials and our parent company, keeping ourselves to ourselves, and updating the site remotely from laptops and home computers.
You can expect to see current events reflected in our editorial coverage to some extent, but we’re not going to be plastering our homepage with articles about infection rates
We’re very lucky. We’re not among the thousands of hourly employees in the catering, travel and hospitality industries who are looking at multiple weeks stretching ahead without an income. We review cameras, not ocean cruises. But of course we all have friends and family who are out of work, and others that are employed in health and social care. Still others who are caring for vulnerable relatives. All of them are making sacrifices right now that hopefully the lucky ones among us will never have to fully understand.
We’re working. We can afford to pay our freelance writers, we’re still having the usual daily meetings, and thanks to the impressively high-resolution cameras in our computers and phones (they’re the future, if you hadn’t heard…) we all know a lot more about the state of each others’ respective ‘home offices’ than we’d probably like to. We’re writing, and editing, moderating comments and taking photos. Just like always. As I said, we’re lucky.
We’re doing these things because that’s what you expect us to do. Unlike many ‘tech’ sites, we have a fairly focused editorial remit. You can expect to see current events reflected in our editorial coverage to some extent, as they pertain to the world of photography, but we’re not going to be plastering our homepage with multiple articles about infection rates, death rates, emergency measures or vaccine research. It’s not what we’re good at, and it’s not why you come to our site. It’s not what we do.
Life will get back to normal, eventually, for most of us. Until it does (and with any luck long after it does) we’ll keep on working to bring you the best and most relevant news, analysis, opinion and of course in-depth reviews that we can. Without our daily readers, we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing. We need you, and we’re going to make sure that whatever else is going on, there will be plenty to distract you (and yes – if you must – plenty to argue about) on DPReview.
Stay safe, and stay in touch.
Barnaby Britton, Senior Editor, DPReview.com
On behalf of every member of the DPReview team:
Editorial:
Allison Barney Carey Dan Dale Gannon Jeff Richard (B) Rishi
The organizers behind The Photography Show and The Video Show, have announced the event is being postponed due to ongoing concerns regarding COVID-19 (the coronavirus). Originally set to take place from March 14 through March 17 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, the event will now take place at a later time in 2020, if all goes according to plan.
In the statement shared on The Photography Show website, organizers say they have ‘taken the extremely difficult decision to postpone The Photography Show & The Video Show until later in the year, when we will be able to deliver the show you deserve.’
The organizers note any current ticket-holders will be able to use their tickets for the future event, whenever the dates are established. In the event attendees aren’t able to attend at the future date, they will have the option to receive a refund, including any ‘Extras’ purchased alongside the main ticket.
According to The Photography Show website, over 300 brands and 32,000 visitors show up annually to see the latest products and attend over 270 talks, demos and galleries over the course of the four-day show. Canon, Epson, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, Rode, Sony, and Westcott are just a few of the featured exhibitors who are planning to attend the event. The organizers say they will ‘aim to keep the programme the same where possible, subject to speakers being available for the new dates [and] hope that the exhibitor list will remain much the same.’
You can visit The Photography Show’s website to view more details.
Irix has announced the details of its new 45mm F1.4 manual lens for full-frame camera systems.
The lens was originally teased as a prototype way back in 2017 at The Photography Show. Last year, a cine version of the lens was released, but the still photography version remained to be seen, until today.
The 45mm F1.4 lens is based around Irix’s Dragonfly design technology, which uses an aluminum-magnesium alloy and composite elements to create a lightweight, but sturdy design that’s weather-resistant thanks to multiple gaskets throughout the lens. The focus ring has a 140-degree throw, a focus-lock feature and offers laser-engraved markings with luminescent paint for easier viewing in low-light environments.
No launch date or pricing information is available at this time. When the 45mmm F1.4 lens does launch, it will be available for Canon EF, Nikon F and Pentax K camera systems. We have contacted Irix to request more information and will update this article accordingly if and when we receive a response.
The post 5 Reasons You Should Still Use a DSLR in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
In recent years, mirrorless cameras have come to dominate much of the photography market. So much so that, if you’re a DSLR shooter, you may feel like you’re lagging behind. You may feel like you’re using old, antiquated equipment. You may start saving up for that brand-new mirrorless kit. But should you still use a DSLR in 2020?
Here’s the thing:
While mirrorless cameras may be all the rage these days, there’s a lot to be said for DSLRs.
And while there are a lot of benefits to going mirrorless, for some photographers, mirrorless bodies and lenses would be an unnecessary step sideways.
Or, even worse, a step backward.
That’s what this article is all about. I’m going to give you five reasons why you might want to still use a DSLR in 2020.
And you’ll come away knowing whether a DSLR still makes sense for your shooting needs, even in this increasingly mirrorless age.
1. DSLRs are much easier to work with in low light
If you’ve spent some time reading about DSLRs versus mirrorless cameras, then you’ll be familiar with the optical viewfinder and electronic viewfinder comparisons.
On the one hand, optical viewfinders are much clearer than electronic viewfinders, and they feel more real.
This Nikon DSLR features an optical viewfinder, which gives you a crisp and lifelike view through the lens.
On the other hand, electronic viewfinders give you a live preview of your image before you even take it, one that allows you to assess exposure from the moment you put the camera up to your eye. You also get other cool benefits, such as focus peaking (where you can see in-focus areas through the viewfinder), as well as the ability to “see” in black and white.
But there’s another key optical viewfinder benefit:
They look way better in low light.
When you’re shooting in darker situations, looking through an optical viewfinder is very similar to looking with your naked eye.
But looking through an electronic viewfinder is like looking through an old, poor-quality display. There’s noise everywhere, and this makes it tough to tell whether you’ve nailed focus and exposure.
Of course, it’s possible to look past these flaws, and you can still shoot mirrorless in low light. But it’s frustrating to look through a viewfinder and see a poor-quality image, so if you’re a frequent low-light shooter, you might want to consider sticking with a DSLR instead.
Now, EVFs are improving all the time, and there may reach a point in the future where the quality in low light comes close to that of OVFs. But right now, OVFs are dominating EVFs in the low-light arena.
2. You can shoot all day with a DSLR on a single battery
Another reason to still use a DSLR in 2020 is that DSLRs have much longer-lasting batteries compared to mirrorless cameras.
And if you’re the type of photographer who likes to shoot all day without stopping, or someone who goes into areas without access to electricity for days on end, you’re going to struggle with a mirrorless body.
Most mirrorless bodies are rated at around 250-400 shots, though you can get a substantial amount of additional life out of them if you make an effort to conserve battery. Even so, mirrorless battery life pales in comparison to DSLRs, which frequently feature capabilities from around 800 shots to 1500 shots and beyond.
This Nikon D850 has a battery life of 1840 high-resolution shots, which is much more than that of mirrorless competitors.
When I got my first mirrorless camera, I thought I was ready to handle the limited battery life. In a sense, I was: I had three original batteries, plus two chargers.
But even if you have the batteries to last a day or two, it’s frustrating to have to remember to charge them after every shoot. It’s also frustrating to change batteries during shoots, especially when working in the freezing cold or in bad weather.
So if battery life is a big deal to you, then you may want to stick with your DSLR.
3. DSLRs feel much better in your hand
I’ve used a number of mirrorless cameras, and I’ve also used a number of DSLRs.
And the DSLRs are far, far better when it comes to ergonomics.
You see, mirrorless cameras are much more compact than DSLRs on average. But in order to achieve the smaller form-factor, manufacturers have flattened body grips.
Sure, there are some mirrorless cameras that retain a DSLR-like feel, but many of the mid-level options from Sony and Fujifilm, not to mention the entry-level, no-viewfinder cameras from most manufacturers, have very limited grips.
And this makes them very tough to use for street photographers (who often shoot one-handed), as well as casual walkaround photographers. Plus, anyone who holds a camera for hours on end wants it to feel comfortable, not just usable.
In a lot of cases, mirrorless bodies just…aren’t.
Check out this DSLR, which shows the extent to which a deep body grip defines its shape:
While a Nikon D6 has a more obvious battery grip than many DSLRs, it’s still a fair example of the DSLR mold.
So before you grab a new mirrorless body, make sure to head into your local camera shop and actually try it out. Hold it in your hand.
And ask yourself:
How would I feel after hours in the field?
If the answer is something along the lines of “Not good,” then you may want to still use your DSLR in 2020.
4. DSLRs allow you to comfortably view the scene with both eyes open
I’ve already talked about the difference between electronic viewfinders and optical viewfinders.
But there’s a practical consequence that comes with using an electronic viewfinder that I haven’t mentioned:
It’s tough to shoot with both eyes open.
Now, if you’re a landscape or portrait photographer, you may think this is silly. Why would you ever need to use both eyes while shooting?
But if you’re an action photographer, someone who shoots sports or even street photos, then you may like to shoot with both eyes open. This allows you to anticipate movement. It allows you to see what’s going to move into the frame before it happens.
And it can really take your images to the next level.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to use both eyes when shooting mirrorless. This is because there’s a feeling of disconnect between the electronic viewfinder and the optical viewfinder. Plus, even the best EVFs have some kind of lag; while this may be irrelevant if using one eye to shoot, it creates a level of disjointedness when working with both eyes.
This is one of the reasons why, by the way, plenty of sports photographers are still opting for a camera like the Nikon D5/6 or the Canon 1D X Mark II/III over mirrorless options like the Sony a9 II or the Olympus OM-D E-M1X. While the latter two cameras offer incredible specs, it’s just too difficult to use them with both eyes open.
The Canon 1D X Mark III is a sought-after sports camera by professionals.
5. DSLRs offer a better lens selection
Here’s your final reason to still use a DSLR in 2020 over mirrorless:
The lens selection.
Now, there are plenty of great lenses for mirrorless systems. But the range just isn’t as expansive as the DSLR lens lineup that’s offered by Canon or Nikon.
Fortunately, there are adapters that allow you to use DSLR lenses on mirrorless bodies. But these can cost a substantial amount of money, and for some lineups, they’re just not ideal.
Some shooters won’t care about the limited lens offerings; if you’re a portrait photographer, for instance, you’ll probably be just fine with the lens lineup offered by any of the major mirrorless manufacturers. This is because portrait-type lenses are often developed first, as part of a “standard” prime and zoom series.
But if you photograph with more specialized equipment – a set of super-telephoto lenses, for instance, or a long macro lens – you’ll struggle to get the glass you need to really capture your images.
The selection of super-telephoto lenses is limited in mirrorless lineups.
Note, also that switching from a Canon DSLR to a mirrorless system like Fujifilm, will cost a significant sum of money. You’ll need to buy a mirrorless camera, yes, but you’ll also need to replace your entire lens lineup. And while you can sell your DSLR lenses on the used market, they likely won’t get you close to the cash you need for a well-rounded Fuji system.
So make sure you keep this in mind before switching to mirrorless.
5 Reasons you should still use a DSLR in 2020: Conclusion
Now that you’ve finished this article, you know all about the five key reasons you should still use a DSLR in 2020 over a mirrorless camera.
And you should have a sense of whether a DSLR makes sense for your needs.
Now I’d like to know:
Do you shoot mirrorless or with a DSLR? And why? Share your reasons in the comments below!
The post 5 Reasons You Should Still Use a DSLR in 2020 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.
This week, representatives from Koelnmesse, the organization behind Photokina 2020, sat down for a press conference in Cologne, Germany to address, amongst other details, concerns surrounding whether or not Photokina 2020 will take place as cases of COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe.
At the press conference, Koelnmesse Vice President, Christoph Werner, said ‘At this time, there is no reason to halt a large-scale event like [Photokina 2020],’ according to translated text from DC Watch. This statement was made even after consulting with the World Health Organization (WHO), the German Federal Ministry of Health and local authorities, according to Werner.
‘At this time, there is no reason to halt a large-scale event like [Photokina 2020]’
Kai Hillebrand, Chairman of the German Association of Photography, further elaborated at the press conference, saying ‘As long as the health authorities do not announce that trade fairs should be stopped in Europe, [the decision to participate] will be at the discretion of the exhibitors.’
In mid-September, well before the rise of the COVID-19 virus, Leica, Nikon and Olympus were confirmed to have dropped out of the tradeshow. Three months later, on December 6, Photokina confirmed Canon, Panasonic and Sony would be present for the 2020 event. No more than ten days later it was confirmed by PetaPixel that Fujifilm, too, would be absent from the show.
Between the departure of four major brands and the ongoing Coronavirus concerns, it doesn’t look promising for the Photokina 2020, despite being three months out. That said, until further notice, it seems as though everything is still set to go according to schedule, even as WHO raises the global risk of COVID-19 from ‘high’ to ‘very high’
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